Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men

Rachel & Miles Review the X-Men, Episode 43

Week of June 24, 2015 –

In which the fact that we’re biased doesn’t mean we’re not also right; we disagree about which Silent Hill game makes the best metaphor for E is for Extinction; and Miles probably does not actually have the Legacy Virus.

REVIEWED:

  • Uncanny Avengers #5 (3:01)
  • *X-Men ’92 Infinite Comic #3 (5:17)
  • E Is for Extinction #1 (7:18)

*Pick of the Week (13:20)


You can (and should) buy the Three Wolverine Moon shirt here until July 1, 2015.


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16 comments

  1. So as someone who had very strong negative opinions of the Morrison/Quitley era (due largely to a “these aren’t my x-men” issue, so I’m willing to admit my opinion may be flawed) I wasn’t really looking forward to E is for extinction. Sadly this book gave me a lot of the same surface distaste the first year or so of New X-men did. The issue seems to be trying too hard to ape the “edginess” and rejection of x-men philosophy that the first stories of New X-men embraced.

    I’ve always kind of liked stories where other writers make use of Morrison’s concepts in their own styles (Whedon’s Scott/Emma relationship for example). X-men 92 this week (which I picked up in physical format) used the definitive creation of early Morrison, and made it fun and interesting as opposed to frustrating and painful. Plus I got to make a gleeful squeak when I saw Rachel and Miles working for the bad guys.

    Long rant to basically agree with you guys. Then again I’m a completist with an addiction…so despite my distate I’ll probably be picking up EfE#2…it’ll just sit at the bottom of the pile…whereas X-men 92 is probably making me get the digital comic just so I can get more story faster.

  2. Just wanted to provide a somewhat-less-biased amen to your comments on X-Men ’92 #3. Despite the 90s being an X-men era I’d rather forget, this is my favorite X-book in ages. (I feel like I’m forgetting something, but off the top of my head, the last time I really dug a new X-men comic was when Grant Morrison was writing…)

  3. Thanks you for speaking to the rumors and chatter about the X-Men licensing and books. I’m eager for the July 1 magazine and hopeful that it puts a lot of the speculation to rest.

  4. The spot I’m feeling the “no love for x-men” burn is in toys. Some x-men statues that were almost finished were said by the manufacturers to have been cancelled without reason by Marvel.

    The toy buyer for Walgreens (who has been very proactive in expanding their toy aisle, even so far as securing exclusive marvel legends to the pharmacy chain) has confirmed he was explicitly denied access to X-men characters for potential future exclusive characters.

    And the last two waves of X-Men themed marvel legends had their production runs cut short, moved from wide release to limited exclusive (one wave went to diamond, one to TRU) and some figures got cancelled (Rouge ;_; and Phoenix 5 Cyclops).

    The one thing we are getting is Hasbro got Illyana into the Dr Strange themed SDCC boxset for this coming con, probably because she was near production ready and the very expensive steel molds were already made. Her prototype was shown off last year at SDCC.

    Just a huge bummer and I’m a big fan of Marvel Legends and the majority of my collection, and enthusiasm to continue buying, is X characters.

    /toy nerd

    X-Men 92 is awesome! That is all.

    1. The X-Men chess-set series is still continuing, and has just released Rogue here in the UK, by coincidence.

  5. The artist of E is for Extinction has my last name, so I have to read it. ’92, I read it even if your weren’t in it

  6. All I really want from E for Extinction is more Angel+Beak. Has anyone here read Vengeance? I was hoping for more from the series that introduced America Chavez and contained Angel and Beak, but it left me feeling a bit cold.

  7. X-Men 92 has been my favorite book to come out of the Secret Wars distraction but I have to say I really liked E for Extinction this week.

    After finally catching up with The Wicked and the Divine over at Image comics I can’t help but feel like there are some similar themes that are cleverly coded within this deconstruction of the early 2000’s X-Men run.

    It is a real exploration of Millennial X-culture that ages the Grant Morrison version of these characters in real time with biting commentary through inappropriate adult themes and dark humor. I love that as soon as I saw Scott and Emma I realized that I didn’t actually want to see these two grow old together in continuity. Scott’s dialogue is still appropriately stilted and humorless as he and the de-fanged Sad Wolverine have a superbly pathetic conversation about Jean. The high school reunion feel was a fitting tribute and scathing commentary on their never ending love triangle.

    It’s an interesting modern take on the age old “X-Future” story we’ve grown so accustomed to seeing as post-apocalyptic and Terminator-esque.

    This time the horror isn’t mutant hunting sentinels on a scorched Earth; it’s the idea that some day “WE” will be too old and no longer relevant to make a difference. Our dreams will be put out to pasture in favor of a newer generation of individuals who continue on in a barely recognizable version of our society.

    Kind of like real life. 🙂

    That makes me sound like I’m afraid of change but isn’t that the point? Aren’t we, the comic book fans afraid of change? We fear the re-boot so much but should we be rooting for Scott’s Val Kilmer-esque dad bod and Emma’s Madonna cos-play? I don’t have an answer but I’m glad this book made me ask.

    also Daria cameo:
    http://41.media.tumblr.com/a29b9192b4856b6cdbd4734372cfda4c/tumblr_nqig8eXZo11r1t9nio2_1280.jpg

  8. I totally agree about Uncanny Avengers. The art was great, but it was otherwise inessential. The series as a whole never really did much for me, in part because it never really seemed to fit in with what the rest of the Marvel line was doing. In some cases, that could be good. In this case, it was not.

    I hadn’t spent much time thinking about E for Extinction in depth until I was listening to your review just now, but I figured out what it reminds me of. It’s an X-Men version of The Dark Knight Returns, both for good and ill. I can appreciate what they’re going for and it’s neat seeing some of the Morrison-era characters get a return to the spotlight, but the comic isn’t really enjoyable for me at all. It’s just sad.

    X-Men ’92 is still great. And everyone should buy it. Digitally. And demand Rachel and Miles action figures.

  9. Did you say the t-shirts of the month are going away or were you just referring to June’s?

      1. Although I think I might make Three Werewolf Moon July’s shirt of the month, too, because it’s really too awesome to limit to one month.

        I don’t know.

        Summer is confusing.

        1. A shirt dedicated to Miles’ Rogue-related Southernisms from the rpg session would be amazing.

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